Denuoement
by Jewel3
Summary: When Alice Longbottom heard about the deaths of James and Lily Potter, and the fall of Voldemort, she was ashamed of her relief.


_Disclaimer:_ I am not J.K. Rowling. This particular story is mine, but the books it's based on - and all they include - are not. The prophecy is taken word-for-word from _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_.

**Denouement**  
_By: Jewel Kaufman_

When Alice Longbottom heard about the deaths of James and Lily Potter, and the fall of Voldemort, she was ashamed of her relief. Though many now celebrated the demise of the Dark Lord, the solace Alice found in the midst of her horror at the deaths of her friends was not in the defeat of the greatest evil since Grindewald.

It was in the fact that it had been the Potter family, and not her own, that caused it.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..." Alice could remember listening to the ghostly image of Sybill Trelawney as it turned slowly above Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve, Frank's hands tightening briefly on her shoulders from where he stood behind her as the prophecy was repeated for their benefit.

"Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

The Potters had been there that day as well, beside them in the Headmaster's office in a pose that mimicked their own. Alice could remember looking over at Lily, meeting the redhead's brilliant, yet horrified green eyes and knowing her own face reflected that same expression. Both women had unconsciously clutched at their newly pregnant stomachs before turning to Albus for some sort of explanation.

It would be one of them, he'd explained, but he couldn't be sure of which one it would be. Both babies were due to be born that July, and indeed, Neville Longbottom was delivered on the thirtieth, with Harry Potter following him on the thirty-first. Lily had told her later that James had nearly been thrown out of the delivery room, encouraging his wife to hold on, rather than push as the Healers instructed, one eye on the clock as the hours before midnight (and an August 1st birth date) slowly passed by.

It had been a futile effort though, and the newest Potter had beaten August's arrival with his own by mere minutes. Alice had wrapped the younger woman in a comforting embrace, expressing her condolences even as a tiny voice had whispered in her head, _I hope it's you..._

She had not been surprised, when, upon pulling back, she saw the same nearly-hidden sentiment in Lily's emerald eyes.

And so it went. The two families banded together, the absolute secrecy surrounding the prophecy bringing them closer than they had been already – and yet also causing a separation that was never acknowledged; so very reasonable to think, but almost unforgivable to speak aloud. _I hope it's you..._

Alice wondered if, in those moments before the killing curse had done its job, Lily had thought her fate to be punishment for wishing as she had. When she had mentioned this thought to her husband though, he had only shaken his head and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, "That just can't be," he'd said softly into her ear, "After all, we wished the same. And it's over now."

And he'd spoken the truth. The entirety of the war that they'd been fighting in some way or another for the better part of the last ten years had culminated in the late hours of that October 31st with a reflected curse and its ensuing explosion. It was over, Death Eaters were being rounded up daily with the Head of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement Bartemius Crouch Sr. throwing them into Azkaban by the dozen – with or without a trial. There was nothing left to fear.

The celebrations that had started up as quickly as November 1st were still going on, but Alice knew that they too would slow and stop, and when the urge to celebrate the lives they'd barely escaped with died down, life would go on as it had before, they'd close this chapter in their collective existence and allow some normalcy back in.

Alice was looking forward to it.

A small cry interrupted her musings and Alice started rocking back and forth again in her chair as Neville shifted himself on her lap and quickly fell back to sleep. Admiring her little boy, Alice ran a gentle hand through his hair, lifting it off a forehead that was bereft of the lightning bolt shaped scar she'd been told young Harry Potter now wore. Her baby would not be the Dark Lord's equal, but then, her baby wouldn't have to be.

Closing her eyes momentarily at the familiar feeling of guilt that welled in her, Alice stood and carefully lay Neville back into his crib, brushing a kiss against one chubby cheek as she made sure he was comfortably settled in. It was way past his bedtime.

Exiting the room, Alice closed the door quietly behind her and automatically reset the wards, an unfortunate reflex she'd gained during the years of war. With an almost rueful sigh, Alice raised her wand to take them down again when a muffled shout and crash came from just outside the house.

Auror training kicking in, Alice grasped her wand tightly in one hand as she made her way to the upstairs window. _Constant vigilance_, Moody always instructed her. _Always survey the situation first, if you're able_.

Keeping low to the ground, she carefully lifted her head and peered out at the area below, inhaling sharply at the sight that greeted her. Frank. Death Eaters.

_They're supposed to be gone!_ She thought, _It's over now!_ But she knew that no matter how much she wanted to deny it, there was simply no time to be stubborn, especially not since – by the look and sound of it – her husband had just been disarmed.

With barely a glance spared back to Neville's room, Alice ran to the staircase, taking each step as quickly and as quietly as she could. An all-too-familiar scream rang out, nearly making her stumble, and she cursed the isolation of their sprawling Lancashire estate. There had been two of them outside, and while those weren't the best odds for Frank alone, she had confidence that they could make it through again this time.

After all, they'd made it this far.

Practically leaping from the last step, Alice bounded towards the front door, only to be stopped by a sudden yell.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" A voice commanded, and Alice made a futile grab for her wand as it leapt from her hand, barely having time to gasp as the same force drove her backwards, causing her to collapse painfully at the near-bottom of the staircase.

Quickly regaining her bearings, Alice looked up at the same time as the front door burst open, taking in the two black-robed Death Eaters in front of her, along with the two who were now dragging her husband inside.

_Four_, she thought miserably, _oh, Moody, how I've failed you_...

"What do you want?" she demanded, swallowing her reservations and looking up at their eyes, revealed through the slits in each of their hoods, "It's over now!"

One of the two holding Frank stepped forward, absently pushing one of the other two to the side to take her place, and Alice knew immediately that this woman was the one in charge. This was confirmed as lithe hands reached up to pull the hood from her face, and Alice found herself looking into familiarly defiant heavily-lidded eyes.

"Black." She hissed, to the woman's obvious amusement, dark hair shining as she shook her head and clucked her tongue.

"Not anymore, Alice, dear," she informed, regally holding out one pale hand to show off the ring that glittered there, "I've just recently become Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange, isn't that right, Rodolphus, darling?" she leered, as simpering or any other such behaviour was beneath her. As it was, she merely smiled at the man who had pulled Frank inside with her, though Alice couldn't help noting that there was something cruel in that expression, even as she spoke the endearment.

"I'm sorry, I must have been too busy celebrating the downfall of Lord Voldemort to notice."

All traces of mock-pleasantness vanished from Bellatrix's expression, leaving behind an ugly stare. "You _dare_ to speak His name!"

"Considering he's dead," Alice returned, refusing to be cowed, "I don't think it much matters now."

"_LIAR!_ Crucio!" Bellatrix screeched, pointing her wand, and Alice's world erupted in pain.

It was a pain unlike anything she could have ever begun to imagine. Her bones were on fire and every single nerve felt like it was being incinerated. She could feel every part of herself in absolute agony as she writhed under the torture curse, her momentum causing her to tumble down the last few stairs to land in a tangled mess at the bottom. It was impossible not to scream.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over and Alice moaned as she struggled to pull herself upright with quivering limbs. Looking towards the group in front of her, Alice saw that while Bellatrix still stood in front, it was taking all three of the others to restrain Frank now, beaten and bloody as he was, and she tried to send him a reassuring look through her now-watering eyes. Unfortunately, Bellatrix caught this subtle exchange.

"Aww... Are you twying to make hubby feewl all better?" she cooed, batting her eyelashes elaborately. Alice just glared.

"What – do you want?" she asked, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. Bellatrix's eyes narrowed.

"Where is the Dark Lord?" she asked, holding her wand steady in front of her. Any other time, Alice might've laughed.

"Dead." She stated, "Haven't you seen the celebrations?"

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted, aristocratic features twisted into a thunderous expression. The rest of her words were just barely audible over Alice's screams, "He cannot be killed! Tell us where he is!"

Once again released from Cruciatus, Alice tried to pull herself up again, panting as she spoke, "I do-don't know." She said roughly, unable to stop her eyes from going back to Frank, heart aching at the sight of him, apparently nearly unable to stand. She had no doubt what they had done to him outside.

She was caught again, and this time there was something gleaming in Bellatrix's smile that made Alice's insides turn to ice. "Isn't it sweet, boys? Look at how in _love_ they are. He can barely see and still she looks to him – for _support_." She sneered, and Alice winced as she watched the dark-haired woman flick at the swelling that nearly forced Frank's eyes shut.

Bellatrix lifted her wand again, but this time she pointed it at Frank instead, "Let's see what this does," she suggested cruelly, pausing for a moment as if to capitalize on the dramatic tension before softly intoning one word, "Imperio."

Alice watched in horror as the dreamy, vacant expression spread across her husband's face, and she silently willed him to throw it off. Even as she tried to deny it to herself though, she knew the effort was futile. It took an incredibly strong will to fight the hold of the Imperius curse, and in Frank's current condition, he had little to no chance.

"Stand up straight." Bellatrix ordered, waving the other three men aside as he obeyed. She pulled something out of her pocket, and Alice recognized Frank's wand an instant before it was placed in his hand, "Point it at her." Bellatrix continued in a commanding tone, and Alice found herself targeted right between the eyes.

"Say it." Bellatrix whispered, eyes dark with anticipation, and Alice cringed as she watched Frank's wand waver, the only sign of his inner struggle.

"Say it!" Bellatrix barked impatiently, and as she saw his wand steady, Alice knew it was lost.

"Crucio!" Frank rasped, his voice hoarse from his own, earlier screams. Alice fell back, feeling searing pain through every inch of herself as limbs twitched violently and bones shifted under her skin.

This time, however, Alice also felt her heart tear at the fact that it was the man she loved who was doing this to her, albeit unwillingly. Her mind rebelled at the thought that if she were to open her eyes, she would see her husband training his wand on her, watching her writhe at his feet. It was impossible for her to fully comprehend and her body went wild as her screams rose to a fever pitch. Her muscles continued spasming even after Bellatrix had Frank lift the curse, and Alice didn't bother trying to see if she could lift herself again. Her right hand was numb, and she was sure her wrist had snapped.

"Feel like sharing?" Bellatrix asked ruthlessly, but Alice couldn't bring herself to speak. She stared up at her torturer-by-proxy, futilely trying to smooth out her pained expression, and watched as Bellatrix's face darkened in rage.

"Again!" She demanded, forcing Frank to comply, and Alice screamed with all the voice she had left. Tremors ripped through her as she went into unnatural contortions, and a piercing shriek exploded from her lips as her left leg collided brutally with the bottom of the stairs and she felt her knee shatter.

Through it all she could hear Bellatrix's agitated, fanatical yelling as the woman continued to demand information that they just didn't have. She had no idea what – if anything – Frank had said in answer, but a moment later she was given a sudden respite. By that point, however, her body continued to twitch even after the curse was lifted, and Alice wondered how much longer she'd last.

The sound of a body hitting the ground made Alice turn her head painfully to the side, only to see Frank convulsing on the floor a few feet away, eerily silent. His wand was no where to be found, and Alice could only assume it had gone flying when he collapsed. Even through the pain that still clouded her mind, she had to wonder why he didn't scream.

He twisted to the side, and Alice barely had enough energy to gasp in sudden, horrific comprehension as she caught his eyes – and the faraway expression they still held.

"Wh-what – are you – d-doing!" she wheezed, unable to reach out to him as her own beaten body still shook with uncontrolled tremors, "H-e's st-still – under–"

"Imperius, yes, I know." Bellatrix responded almost clinically, though the overall effect was ruined by the gleam of anticipation in her eyes, "Both of them, at the same time. Total relaxation and submission with indescribable and unending suffering. On some level, he can feel every bit of it, yet on another... I haven't given him permission to," she paused for a moment before flicking her wand ever-so-slightly, a smirk curled at her lips, "And now I have..." she continued slowly, as if savouring each and every word, "But he still can't scream."

The urge to retch was immediate and uncontrollable as those words rung shrilly in Alice's ear, and deep-rooted instinct had her twisting onto her side as best she could as she was overcome with dry heaves.

They laughed as she choked on blood, bile and tears, lying prone and crumpled at their feet and trying to fight through the turmoil that had taken over her mind. She had just barely managed to take in a fresh gulp of air before she was screaming again as Rodolphus Lestrange turned his focus on her. Time seemed to slow, as each excruciating second of the torture they endured stretched on forever. Alice and Frank jerked and thrashed side-by-side, with only Alice's howling screams able to express their torment until Bellatrix decided it would be more enjoyable to release Frank's mind, and his wails rose and mingled with hers. Pauses were given, questions asked and punished for going unanswered, and all the Longbottoms knew was an endless cycle of pain.

Alice could almost _feel_ her mind coming unhinged at their never-ending torment. They were trapped at the mercy of those who had none, and the inability to anticipate the length of each bout of torture or the times in between tore at the edges of her fraying sanity. She could feel bones cracking and she clawed at herself with the hand she could still feel, convinced that they would soon start breaking through her skin. The copper taste of blood was still on her tongue and her head felt too tight to contain anything but her screams.

So loud and all-encompassing was their suffering, that the fearful cry from the nursery failed to capture even a slice of their attention.

Not so for the Death Eaters.

"Go." Rodolphus ordered the other two, who promptly disappeared upstairs, and though her son's call had escaped her, Alice's flagging attention had been caught as they stepped over her to reach the stairs, one delivering a swift kick to her side on his way. Through the pain, she was able to watch them go, and a terror unlike any she'd ever known before lodged itself in her throat once her brain had struggled to process the sight.

Right then, in the midst of her addled mind, she knew that this must have been exactly what Lily had felt the night she died.

Another, louder cry sounded from her baby's room before a powerful force surged through the house, knocking the Lestranges off their feet and granting the Longbottoms a temporary reprieve. Alice sobbed in relief as she summoned a splintering memory of raising the wards guarding Neville's room even as one of the Death Eaters ran down the stairs towards the Lestranges, who'd just gotten back on their feet.

"I got the kid to try'em," a voice that Alice would've normally been able to identify as Rabastian Lestrange hollered as he skidded to a stop, "He got stuck somehow – and some alarm went crazy! The Aurors'll be comin' any minute!"

Bellatrix turned livid at his words, hands shaking with indignant fury at the unexpected turn of events. She pivoted sharply, stalking over to Alice's prostrate form with renewed ferocity, and Alice saw her end in the darkness of the other woman's tempestuous eyes. She didn't need to force her head to the side to know that Frank was already lost to her, dead in mind, if not body. She had just enough coherency left to know she wouldn't be far behind.

"You think you won!" Bellatrix snarled savagely, "You are nothing but a blood-traitor! I'm going to leave you just alive enough to feel the Dark Lord's wrath when he claims his rightful victory!" she seethed in bloodthirsty promise, "Now, one last chance... Where. Is. He?"

"Gone." Alice whispered, and watched as Bellatrix filled with rage, roaring the now-familiar curse even as the first _pop_ signifying apparition – and rescue – sounded from outside.

As Alice abandoned herself to the merciful escape of madness, an image of the four of them, that day in Dumbledore's office sprang to her fragmenting mind. As she took in the fear on each of their faces, the last thought she had was, "It was always all of us. At least it's over now..." 

_fin._


End file.
